On Sunday afternoon the London rivalry between Arsenal and Chelsea produces an interesting match at the Emirates Stadium where the teams display different goals in the Premier League.
The Blues maintain a chance to draw level with Arsenal in top-flight points standings this weekend if they produce a victory this weekend even though both teams struggle to score goals right now.
Arsenal found themselves in yet another fresh scandal because their wall stood beyond the legal distance when Bruno Fernandes hit his wonderful free kick last weekend though Manchester United received equal criticism for the keeper's poor performance.
Mikel Arteta's offense struggled to find any reply to that stupendous Fernandes set-piece before Declan Rice scored a quality goal beyond the penalty spot which also marked their first goals in two Premier League matches while bringing a tie at Old Trafford.
Arteta responded by walking out of his interview session after Liverpool managed to beat Southampton. The manager made it clear that he did not want to talk about winning the title when their position was already highly improbable.
In the current form the Gunners risk sliding outside the top 4 because they have lost their Premier League form and won just two matches from their seven recent matches across all competitions.
Considerable damage sustained in the first leg has elevated the Gunners to a spectacular quarter-final matchup against Real Madrid while they need to prevent their first ever defeat at home.
Arsenal has not lost back-to-back Premier League London derbies on their own field since relocating to their new stadium in 2006, but West Ham United's 1-0 victory a few weeks ago puts them in danger of doing so.
Speaking of clubs being criticized for their lackluster performance in the final third, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has also come under fire for his team's alleged passive style of play, which was evident during their trips to Lille and Copenhagen.
Chelsea has won four straight competitions and advanced to the Conference League quarterfinals, but other from a 4-0 thumping of hapless Southampton, none of those victories have been decisive, and their top-four position is still in jeopardy.
Even though they were a good value for the draw at Stamford Bridge in November, the Blues have now lost all six of their Premier League away games since defeating Arsenal's fiercest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, in a seven-goal shambles in December.
In fact, if a three-game losing streak in Premier League away games is any indication, Manchester City may surpass Maresca's team with three points at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, and the Blues might not have the resources to reply.
Now that he has recovered from his hamstring injury, Gabriel Martinelli should be ready for his first start. The Brazilian is a serious contender for the number nine position, where he and Leandro Trossard may switch positions during play.
If Gusto is unable to play, either Wesley Fofana or Reece James, who was recently called up to the England team, should take Gusto's place at right back. However, Maresca has stated that he prefers the latter as a midfield alternative.
